NT80

...until it actually happens. Where there is smoke, there is an upcoming ACC implosion soon .

Who is NTU ? 😡

Nebraska lost it's AAU status in 2011. They are trying to get it back, but they are currently a Big10 member without that title. A$M won't leave the SEC for the Big10. They have too many other rivals in the SEC. They are a good fit in the SEC by geography and power sports. No mention in this blog about how the Big12 would unlock the ACC media rights jail. I hope the ACC does implode....just to watch the drama for $mut...

The court, in the latest challenge to the NCAA's long-held notion of "amateurism" in college sports, said that a test should be developed to differentiate between students who play college sports for fun and those whose effort "crosses the legal line into work." "With professional athletes as the clearest indicators, playing sports can certainly constitute compensable work," U.S. Circuit Judge L. Felipe Restrepo wrote. "Ultimately, the touchstone remains whether the cumulative circumstances of the relationship between the athlete and college or NCAA reveal an economic reality that is that of an employee-employer." A colleague, in a concurring opinion, questioned the difficulty of such a process, noting that nearly 200,000 students compete on nearly 6,700 Division I teams. The NCAA had hoped to have the case dismissed, but it will instead go back to the trial judge for fact finding. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/40541501/court-ruling-seeks-test-decide-athletes-employees

I think we will know after game 5 vs Tulsa what kind of season it will be.

The Memphis AD has a better chance of getting AD job in P4 than collecting that bonus.

The way the WSU Prez talked in the interview they want to be lean. I assume they don't want all the extra combined conference staff/admin and 12 members of the MWC for their new PAC, only 6. Less teams to split media revenue with and less overhead. I wouldn't want to reverse-merge with all 12 and then cut 6 loose after the first season. But maybe they will...to save $$ like you say. That would be rough for the released ones to re-start the MWC again from scratch. The WAC has had 12 lives, maybe the MWC can too?

The Pac-2 doesn't want all the MWC. They have $255M to buy the 6 schools they want and then let the rest of the MWC go expand elsewhere. https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-washington-state-president I’ve written a lot about the $255 million war chest available to the two Pac-12 schools. I’m curious how you’ll use the money. Will you subsidize what media-rights money you would have normally received as a Power 5 member? Will you set aside money for exit fees, acquisitions, or “partnerships” as you call it?

The context of "winning" at Iowa St is the key... McCarney served as head coach at Iowa State University from 1995 to 2006. During that span, McCarney led the Cyclones to five bowl games, second to Matt Campbell for the most in Iowa State history. The Cyclones had been to only three bowl games in their entire history before his arrival. In their first bowl appearance under McCarney, the 2000 Insight.com Bowl, the Cyclones notched their first bowl win in school history. His 56 wins and 85 losses are both school records.

Both recently overloaded in expansion...just in case they lost some schools. I think both can be happy with no replacements. 16 is too many in a conference in my opinion. 14 or 12 is better.

This is the biggest threat to our Athletics program: campus indifference, lack of school spirit and sports support. Cal is having the same issue. The key is to recruit sports fans from the surrounding communities to fill the gap. Eventually as the teams get better, and better quality opponents, the games become an event, even to nerds and wallflowers.

Memphis is a small market and probation-central with their coaches/athletes. Nobody invites a Thug-U intentionally...unless it's Florida State, lol.

WSU Prez said they reduced their athletic budget this year $11mil. He indicated they (OSU & WSU) only want a conference with 8 teams. Maybe a smaller, stronger conference on the west coast is better for a media deal? MWC media deals ends in 2026. PAC-2 could offer each MWC defector $10 mil towards MWC buyout costs plus no buy in cost. That's $60 mil vs $140 mil to buy them outright from the MWC. https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-washington-state-president

One thing the NFL found out a long time ago was non-parity was not good for the fans, nor the league, nor merchandising, nor media. College sports will soon be the same and dysfunctional unless the business heads find a way to level the field.

I agree overall the crowds would be better playing better Brand names. But as with the Cal game last year, and Indiana, and K-State, Oregon St, Vandy, etc at Fouts, not always 200% better. Our best attendance games were with Smu, La Tech, SFA, NMSU...rivalry games.

I know Smu is excited to be joining the ACC. But is such a long-distance, coast-to coast conference really good for a program and fan base? Your closest conference foe will be over 1,000 miles away. Those are not drive-able games. There will only be rare office or restaurant interaction with a conference opponent fan. I think SMU will miss the TCU, Baylor, and UNT fans/games. WSU Prez Shultz, in the article above, mentioned how some WSU fans wanted to cut all ties with UW after they left the PAC12. But they have renewed the Apple Cup rivalry game for 5 more years. He said when he was in the Big 12 he saw the same feelings when A&M left Texas alone. But then he later heard multiple admins and fans wish they had the game back...they missed the close rivalry.

Interesting John Canzano interview (6-27-24) with WSU Prez Kirk Shulz (retiring in one year). Q&A on their Athletic situation with the PAC-2. Indicated they (WSU and OSU) are watching the ACC situation; would like just the minimum members (8) in a conference; and will decide which way to go in Jan/Feb time frame for prep... What does the timeline for the Pac-12 look like in your mind? I feel that in my conversations with (President) Jayathi Murthy at Oregon State, I think early in 2025, we’ve got to make a decision about where we’re going to be for the next four or five years. I don’t think we can continue having a foot in multiple conferences and hoping that something’s going to come our way. So I think we’re going to spend the fall planning, looking at our best options. And I think January-February, we’ve got to pick what we think is the best and aggressively move forward. How important is it for the Pac-12 to stay nimble or lean in terms of the number of future conference members? Scott Barnes, the athletic director at Oregon State, told me he thought the number of teams should be on the right around eight or so. Is that strategy still in play, or is that to be determined as you sort things out? I think there’s no question that we’re going to try and keep as nimble as possible. And I think you’ve written about this in the past. I mean, we’re watching what happens on the East Coast with the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Clemson and Florida State, lawsuits. And it, unfortunately, feels an awful lot like what the Pac-12 was going through https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-washington-state-president

Yes, we need to distance ourselves from the SBC, MAC, CUSA. This way if the P4 splits apart perhaps we could join the Tier 2 with them.

I always considered a "sport" something physical. Video gaming to me seems more mental. I guess the hand controller inputs could be considered physical? Are chess, monopoly, and poker sports?

The more I think about the FBS future, the more I think the SEC/Big10 (Top40) will split away from the rest. They will still play OOC inter-division games with other FBS (they need their 7 home games), but their playoff will be exclusive. In that case where the Big12 and remnants of the AAC fall out of the top tier, then we should be proactive to join their tier with them, say Tier 2. Assemble a AAC/MWC/P2 combo conference. Something SMU2006 actually suggested> West - Wazzu, Oregon State, Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, CO State, Air Force East - North Texas, UTSA, Tulane, Memphis, USF, Navy, Army

Memphis' stadium is not on campus. USF's stadium has been pushed to 2027, if then. It is similar looking to Apogee (DATCU), 35,000 seats, but will cost more that $340 Million, as of 2023 $.

Will they be scrimmaging the NT men's team again before the tourney, like last year?

Agree. We have come a long way from East Texas State, West Texas State, NE La, Nichols St, et al.

I was trying to show we don't need more people to commit money. We just need more people (fans) in general. You have to attract the fans first, then the money follows.

I agree the big programs were doing similar, and probably worse things today. But the NCAA decided it needed to "make an example of someone" before it got out of control, to show they were still in control. So SMU was the designated example. Probably based on small size, elite culture, not a public school, and wealth to endure the penalties eventually.